Process of making decorative tiles.



No. 708,680. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

E. EL TABDURETQ PROCESS OF MAKING DECORATIVE TILES.

(Application filed July 19, 1901.

YHE NORM! FETERi cm. PNOTO-UYHO" WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES- ZPATENT OFFICE.

EMILE ERNEST TABOURET, OF BRUSSELS, BELGI'UM.

PROCESS OF MAKING DECORATIVE TILES.

SPEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 708,680, datedSeptember 9, 1902.

Application filed July 19,'1901. $erial No. 68,881. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EMILE ERNEST TABOU- RET, a citizen of the Republicof France, residing at Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Making Decorative Tiles; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

My invention relates to decorative designs and process of making thesame, and has for I its object the provision of such designs made from abody consisting of some suitable baked or unbaked ceramic materials insuperposed layers.

My invention is applicable to tiles for interior and exteriordecoration, signs, and similar purposes and is made from suitableceramic materials, either of the nature of pottery requiring to be bakedor from some similar materials which will solidify to a more or lessextent without being baked, such as stucco and various hydraulic cementsand plasters.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable tile made of thesuperposition of various colored materials, which materials are fixed inplace by pressure, by firing, or by hydraulic or other adhesion.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 shows an edge view of a tile made according to my invention,and Fig. 2 shows a top view thereof.

The tile shown in the drawings and designated in a general way by E isin the present instance represented as comprising four layers A B C D ofvarious-colored materials, which may be produced by means of a metalmold having the general shape and outline of tile or other object whichit is desired to produce, the same having a movable bottom,

into which mold the ceramic or other colors are placed in uniformlayers, preferably through a sieve, one layer at a time, to a desiredthickness and the surface smoothed off by a straight-edge or the like,and, if desired,

gether.

in practice the bottom of the mold may be lowered as each layer isplaced therein,or any other suitable means may be employed forregulating the depth of the various layers of material. After thedesired number of layers have been placed in the mold the mass may besubjected to pressure to form a mass in which. the respective layersadhere to- This mass may then be hardened by firing or some other means,as desired, after which the tile or other article is taken and thevarious layers cut away to reveal the colors of the layers below and inthis wise form variegated patterns or designs thereon.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings is represented an ivy-vine wherein the colorsof the leaves are made, respectively, from the layers B, O, and D andthe groundwork from the layer A.

In practice it may be found desirable to make the various layers ofabout one millimeter in thickness, which will produce when out designswithout disfiguration, or what is commonly called steps.

I preferably spread the powdered materials of different colors one uponthe other in layers by means of a sieve or other device, so as to obtainuniformity of depth of thelayers and also by which to prevent thematerials of the layers from having mixed therewith coarse orlumpyparticles,which would impair the refined constituency of the layers, aswell as seriously interfere with the subsequent step of cutting away or,removing portions of the layers for effecting well-defined reproductionsof designs on'the tiles. This step may be stated to constitutepractically the first or initial step of my improved process and is avery important one to be considered in the practice of my invention,since in the step of uniting the layers a more perfect union is had,directly due to such first-named or initial step. 7

Having described my invention, I claim .1. The process herein'descr'ibedof making decorative tiles, which consists in sifting powdered materialsof different colors one upon the other in layers, then uniting thelayers by pressure, and finally removing parts of outermost layers tovarying depths at difierent places in reproduction of different portionsof any suitable design in any of the colors of the different layers ofwhich the tile may be constituted.

2. The process herein described of making decorative tiles, whichconsists in sifting powdered materials of different colors one upon theother in layers, then uniting the layers and hardening the materials,and finally removing parts of outermost layers to varying depths atdifferent places in reproduction of different portions of any suitabledesign in any of the colors of the different layers of which the designmay be constituted.

3. The process herein described of making decorative tiles, whichconsists in sifting powdered materials of dilferent colors one upon theother in layers, then uniting the layers and firing the mass to hardenthe same, and finally removing parts of outermost layers to varyingdepths at different places in reproduction of different portions of anysuitable design in any of the colors of the difierent layers of whichthe tile may be constituted.

4. The process herein described of making decorative tiles, whichconsists in sifting powdered materials of different colors one upon theother in layers, then uniting the mass by pressure and hardening thesame, and finally removing parts of outermost layers to varying depthsat dilferent places in reproduction of difierent portions of anysuitable design in any of the colors of the different layers of whichthe tile may be constituted.

5. The process herein described of making decorative tiles, whichconsists in sifting powdered materials of dilferent colors one upon theother in layers, then uniting the mass by pressure and hardening thesame by firing, and finally removing parts of outermost layers tovarying depths at different places in reproduction of difierent portionsof any suitable design in any of the colors of the difierent layers ofwhich the tile may be constituted.

6. The process herein described of making decorative tiles, whichconsists in sifting powdered materials of different colors one upon theother in layers, then uniting and hardening the mass, and finallyremoving parts of outermost layers to varying depths at difierent placesin reproduction of difierent portions of any suitable design in any ofthe colors of the difierent layers of which the tile may be constituted.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMILE ERNEST TABOURET.

Witnesses:

HENRI RACLOT, CELESTIN VERTOMMEN.

